Erlotinib in Combination With Cetuximab

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The goal of this clinical research study is to find the highest tolerable dose of Tarceva (erlotinib hydrochloride) that can safely be given in combination with Erbitux (cetuximab). The safety of this drug combination will also be studied.

Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of Erlotinib in Combination with Cetuximab [ Time Frame: 28 days ]

MTD defined by dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) that occur in the first cycle. DLT defined as any Grade 3 or 4 non-hematologic toxicity defined in NCI CTC v3.0, even if expected and believed related to study medications (except nausea and vomiting responsive to appropriate regimens or alopecia), any Grade 4 hematologic toxicity lasting 2 weeks or longer (as defined by the NCI-CTCAE), despite supportive care; any Grade 4 nausea or vomiting > 5 days despite maximum anti-nausea regimens, and any other Grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity, including symptoms/signs of vascular leak or cytokine release syndrome; or any severe or life-threatening complication or abnormality not defined in the NCI-CTCAE that is attributable to therapy.

Patient Response Rate [ Time Frame: After two, 28-day cycles ]

Tumor response defined as one or more of the following: (1) stable disease for more than or equal to 4 months, (2) decrease in measurable tumor (sentinel lesions) by more than or equal to 20% by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria, (3) decrease in tumor markers by more than or equal to 25% (for example, a >/= 25% decrease in cancer antigen 125 (CA125) for patients with ovarian cancer), or (4) a partial response according to the Choi criteria, i.e. decrease in size by 10% or more, or a decrease in tumor density, as measured in Hounsfield units (HU), by more than or equal to 15%.

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Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients with pathologically confirmed advanced or metastatic cancer that is refractory to standard therapy, relapsed after standard therapy, or who have had no standard therapy that induces a CR rate of at least 10% or improves survival by at least three months.

Measurable or non-measurable disease.

Patients must be >/= 6 wks beyond treatment with a nitrosourea or mitomycin-C, >/= 4 wks beyond other chemotherapy or external beam radiation therapy (XRT), and must have recovered to </= Grade 1 toxicity for any treatment-limiting toxicity resulting from prior therapy. (Exception: patients may have received palliative low dose XRT one week before treatment provided it is not given to the only targeted lesions).

(continued from above) Also, patients who have received non-chemotherapeutic biological agents will need to wait at least 5 half-lives or 4 wks, whichever is shorter, from the last day of treatment.

Women of childbearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 30 days after the last dose.

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

For the MTD expansion cohort, patients will be eligible if they meet one of the following criteria: (I) Have an EGFR-sensitive mutation and have been previously treated with EGFR inhibitor therapy but have subsequently developed resistance, OR (II) Have an EGFR-resistant mutation, OR (III) Do not have an EGFR mutation, but have benefited from EGFR inhibitor therapy (including either >/=4 months of stable disease [SD] OR a >/= partial response [PR]).